Marina Abramovic « The Artist Is Present », part II

I did my best to sit in front of the artist with the appropriate seriousness.

But when she lifted up her eyes, Marina didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic.

I felt like a forgotten lump of clay on a sculpture stand, half dry, and not very enticing, so that after a little consideration the artist finally decides not to use it.

I felt like another mile in the endless journey of a truck driver.

I thought of Marina’s performance as a living illustration of the philosophical concept of how Art looks back at us.

Was Marina hypnotizing me ? I became incredibly relaxed and felt a tremendous urge to sleep.

Images of the full MOMA collections were flying by in my head, along with highlights from the Prado and never-shown pieces from the Louvre reserve.

I watched black and white 16mm footage of early seventies performances, when girls in the audience wore printed miniskirt, and men with wide ties on fitted white shirts, spectacles and long beards, similar to those of today, but with outstanding genuineness.

I was woken up by a nightmarish vision of Marina’s « Dragon Heads », a series of pieces where she had big snakes all around her face.

How long had I slept ? Many of the visitors were in awe.

Walking out, I passed in front of a group of people who seemed offended. In doubt, I apologized for possibly snoring.

I was advised by the guard at the exhibit that they don’t really allow anyone to doze off for more than a few seconds. It would be unfair to the rest of the people waiting to sit with the artist. I found her gaze at once aloof and fully engaged. Not glazed over like most of the amateurs sitting across her, myself included…

to meet the unknown hipster last night was a dream come true!(only bettered by also meeting the coyote perhaps..gee…you get around) To find Marina so brilliantly matched by your sliding body…oh joy! (you can see my obsession with her on my blog…jadedressler.wordpress.com) I too desired possibility to dance around her with the same spirit she would have brought to the piece if she were a guest. No one baring breasts, brandishing swords, hairbrushes and slamming into her? guards? escaped children from strollers? escaped performers from the 6th floor? there are still some weeks left;-)